Valpo's baseball program celebrates the addition of six new players for the 2013 season. (Steve Woltmann)

Head coach Tracy Woodson has announced six more additions to the Valparaiso University baseball roster for the upcoming season. This group brings the total number of newcomers to 13 for the 2013 campaign.

“I have an expectation for this team to compete for the Horizon League Championship every year now and in order to do that we must continue to bring in talented baseball players,” stated Woodson. “It is important to have depth and competition in every position. These six young men will be an asset to our program both on the field and in the classroom. We cannot be more pleased with the quality young men that we are adding to our recruiting class.

Bynum is a 6-1, 205-pound pitcher and utility player transferring into the program from Orange Coast Community College. OCC was ranked as the top-ranked junior college baseball program for most of the 2012 season and finished with a 36-7-1 record and a fourth-place finish in the California state playoffs. Bynum finished the season with a .250 batting average along with a 3.38 ERA in 13.1 innings pitched, 11 strikeouts with opponents only hitting .213 against him. Bynum signed and played one season at UC-Irvine out of high school before playing this past season at OCC. He will have two years of eligibility left at Valpo.

DeBoo, a 6-3, 200-pound right-handed pitcher, is a 2012 graduate of California State University Northridge. Due to a medical redshirt, DeBoo has one year of eligibility and will take advantage of the NCAA transfer rule for graduate students. Deboo finished the 2011 season with the second lowest ERA on the Cal State-Northridge team at 3.91 while posting a 1-1 record in 16 appearances out of the bullpen. He struck out 16 hitters in 25.1 innings and walked just six all year. DeBoo was also 1-0 against Big West opponents with a 3.29 ERA in eight relief opportunities and struck out 10. DeBoo is enrolled in Valpo’s MBA program and will have one year of eligibility to pitch for Valparaiso University.

Haas is a 6-1, 175-pound right-handed pitcher who finished the 2012 season with a 5-2 record and one save, a 2.12 ERA, 56 strikeouts, seven walks and a 0.78 WHIP in 62 innings for Hersey High School. The senior led his team to a Mid-Suburban League Championship and also hit .350 with 18 runs batted in. Haas was a Daily Herald All-Area/Northwest selection for his outstanding senior campaign.

Hara, a 5-11, 170-pound outfielder, is a junior college transfer from Irvine Valley College in California. Hara continues the pipeline of players coming from the Orange Empire Conference recruited by Coach Woodson. The speedy lead-off hitter for IVC started all but one game during the 2012 season. Hara finished with a .301 batting average, .380 on-base percentage, 11 runs batted in, seven stolen bases and played errorless defense in centerfield. Hara signed with UC-Irvine out of high school before playing two seasons at Irvine Valley College. He will have two years of eligibility remaining when he arrives at Valpo.

Lundeen is a 6-2, 185-pound left-handed pitcher from Streamwood High School. Lundeen concluded his 2012 season with a 4-3 record to go along with a 3.65 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched. As a junior, he played a key role in helping Streamwood claim its first conference, regional and sectional titles by going 7-2 with a 2.74 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 61.1 innings. Lundeen helped the Sabres to the best season in school history with a record of 30-7 and advanced to the Illinois Class 4A Elite Eight. Lundeen was a First Team All-Area selection during both his junior and senior years.

Webb, a 5-10, 180-pound right-handed pitcher, is transferring from Coffeyville Community College where he was named to the Jayhawk East All-Conference Team following the completion of the 2012 season. Webb was twice named to the All-Conference Team as he was selected as a First Team pitcher and was also named on the Second Team as an outfielder. He was 9-2 overall on the season with a 2.75 ERA in 86.2 innings pitched. Webb began this 2012 season by throwing a no-hitter against Western Oklahoma on February 17. Webb pitched seven innings and recorded six strikeouts in the dominating performance. During the 2011 season as a freshman, Webb posted a 4-3 record with a 3.27 ERA. In nearly 72 innings, he struck out a team-high 59 batters while only allowing 64 hits.